Painting to Van Gogh.
Music to Mozart.
Writing to countless writer, Wilbur Smith, Alexander Solzenitzyn to name a few.
I write about economics, justice, equality.
Finding solution to a common problem.
Amartya Sen, Pramoedya Anantha Toer, I like their writing.

Monday, February 06, 2006

I have written to editor The Press Christchurch. From a long one, have to be shortened to fit the word limitation.

Dear Bruce Rennie,What I am trying to say is, Conservative Muslims do not have paintings or statues that resembles any animal or human being. Painting or statues that claim to resemble God, Prophet Muhammad SAW, or any other prophets (Adam, Moses, Isaac and others) are forbidden. Muslims do not pray to statues or picture/painting, idolatry is forbidden in Islam. So drawing caricatures/cartoons and claiming them to be Prophet Muhammad SAW is forbidden. As such, non Muslim who draw cartoons of Prophet Muhammad SAW and make fun of it, is considered insulting the Muslims.

Perhaps you can replace that sentence with the one above.

ThanksNoor Hamzah

"Bruce Rennie (CPL)" wrote:Dear Noor Hamzah:

Thank-you for this reduced version of your letter.

I have a small problem with one sentence. It reads:

True Muslims will not have paintings of even the prophets to avoidconfusion that Prophet Muhammad SAW is a human prophet and not to be confused with God.

I do not quite understand what that means. Have you perhaps left out a word by mistake?

Islam is monotheistic religion. Muslims worshipAllah alone and don't worship any other. Wedon't have idols, statues etc in the mosque. True Muslims willnot have paintings of even the prophets to avoidconfusion that Prophet Muhammad SAW is a human prophet and not to be confused with God. It's about time for Westeners understand thesensitive issues of other religions. This is a 21st Century and superiority complexhas no place in this world. All races are equal andtheir culture and everyone's way of life is to berespected. Those newspapers would instantly increase circulation, but is it worth it when the country suffers from boycott and diplomatic setback overseas! ? You might gain a few new customers, but your countrymen in the export industries would be bearing the brunt when the Muslim world boycotts your products.I regret that the reaction of some Muslims overseas are at the extreme end.

Noor HamzahPh:3526563 50 Cavendish Rd, Casebrook, Christchurch

Please withheld my phone number and my address.

Thanks"Bruce Rennie (CPL)" wrote:Dear Mr Noor Hamzah:Thank you for your letter to the editor. Our rules, however, limitletters to 150 words. Your letter is much more than 150 words. If you cut itand resubmit it, we will consider it for publication. Regards Bruce Rennie

1) Islam is monotheistic religion. Muslims worshipAllah alone and don't wor! ship other than that. Wedon't have idols etc in the mosque. True Muslims willnot have paintings of even the prophets to avoidconfusion that Mohammed is not a human prophet.

2) It's about time for Westeners understand thesensitive issues of other religions. It's bloodyunfair when it comes to economic issue like oil, theyarm twist the Muslims to sell them oil at a price thatMuslims can't determine. And then they stab Muslims intheir backs by calling them terrorists.

OPEC did not control oil price as US claimed. How comeEXXON-Mobil has a record profit of $25.3 billion in2004. FYI The U.S. FTChas in the past found that U.S. oil companiesintentionally withheld supplies of gasoline from themarket in order to drive prices up.

What's this has to do with cartoon? A lot actually.Stop portraying Muslims as fundamentalist terrorist.We are kind enough to provide supply as US demanded.We are forced to be fri! ends to US but not many realisethis. We are too kind to raise this issue to avoidembarassing the Westeners. Go to Middle East and seehow they treat the Westeners (except for Iraq, andthat is understandable. US robbed and killed them whatdo you expect).

3) NZ should remain a peaceful country just as whatthe govt of NZ wants. The people of NZ dont realise howhard the govt is working (literally begging) to getentry into a more lucrative market in Middle East andAsia.

The repercussion of the cartoon on Muhammed is costlyto businesses. For example Arla Foods sales in theMiddle East have plummeted to zero. We don't want thisto happen to Fonterra and meat exporters.

SO they should stop being an ignoramus of otherpeople's culture as globalisation demands us to bedependent on each other. Start reading books on Isla! m(not by Western Orientalists) but by Muslimsthemselves. Muslims means many races and I'm p! roud tosay that there's no rasicm in Islam. Start readingbooks like Idiots Guide to Understanding Islam byYahiya Emerick (obtainable fromwww.booksvillage.co.nz)

4)Westeners may be advanced in technologies but theybehave like animals when it comes to human relations.Offending other religions and races has been atrademark of many Europeans and they have carried thatunconsciously in their blood now. They must realisethat this is a 21st Century and superiority complexhas no place in this world. All races are equal andtheir culture and their way of life is to berespected. Even their political life is not for us tocomment on. It's their choice. So stop bathing inocean of ignorance and stop meddling in otherpeople's affairs.

I am saying that Western media behaving like stupid bully boys, doing damage to their country and! their nations relations among its citizens and neighbours for the sake for being able to say! what they like. Abusing friends and insulting them, then expect to be treated fairly. Wouldnt it be expected that if you abuse and ridicule someone, you would be ignored and be treated with utmost disdain by that person?To say that their government is powerless to stop this stupidity? True, but government should know better and apologize on behalf of the silly idiots who knows nothing better.I appreciate that those newspaper that publicise the cartoon want to achieve instant recognition and celebrity status unprecedented since the days of AlJazeera and CNN achieve worldwide brand recognition during the two Gulf Wars. But is that the right way to do it?Yes those fringe and dying newspapers would instantly increase circulation, but is it worth it when the country suffers from boycott and diplomatic setback overseas? You might gain a few new customers, but your brothers in the export industries would be bearing the brunt when the Muslim world boycott your products.